Sight for firearms



(No Model.)

W LYMAN SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

No. 541,558. Patented June 25, 1895'.

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. UNIT D STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM LYMAN, OF MIDDLEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,558, dated. June25, 1895.

Application filed September 24, 1894. Serial No. 524,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LYMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middle field, in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sightsfor Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toa sight for firearms and has for its object toprovide an ivory combination front sight especially adapted for militaryuse.

The requirement of a combination sight is to readily exhibit differentsights by means of a folding device or. otherwise, as for instance awhite or ivory sight, and a dark or metal sight, as determined by thenature, di-

rection, and intensity of the light, and the difficulty of applyingordinary existing front sights to military firearms resides in theirdelicacy and the necessity for rigidly and integrally attaching thesight to the gun barrel for use in firmly affixing a bayonet or otherimplement to the arm. My improved sight perfectly fulfills theserequirements, and while particularly intended for military use, may alsobe made detachable from the barrel and adapted for general use, by amodification of the form of the base. Both constructions are illustratedin the drawings comprising a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sight in the form designed forgeneral use and detacha'bly secured to the gun-barrel. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same; and Figs. 3 and t are vertical cross-sections,respectively, on the lines a; w and yy, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front andFig. 6 a plan View of the base-plate. Figs. '7, 8, and 9 arelongitudinal sections on the line 2 a, Fig. 3, respectively, showing thefolding sight in vertical, inclined, and horizontal positions. Fig. 10is a perspective view of the military sight proper rigidly affixed tothe barrel. Fig. 11 is averticallengthwise section of the same on theline 0 12, Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-section on the line tow, Fig. 11. Figs. 13 and 14: are end and plan views, respectively, ofthe base of the military sight; and Fig. 15 is a lengthwise verticalsection similar to Fig. 12, but showing a modification.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombination of the parts, as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the base of the detachablesight, or that intended for general use. Shown in Figs. 1 to 9inclusive. Said base is formed with two parallel, vertical lengthwiseflanges a. on its upper side and provided with a transverse dovetailedpart B on its lower side adapted to fit in a suitable transverse recessa milled in the barrel D, in the ordinary and well known manner. In thefront end of the groove 6 formed by the flanges athat is, the endnearest the muzzle of the piece-is fitted a vertical abutment F having arearwardly projecting tongue f extending "nearly the whole length of thegroove and bent upward at its rear end to form a short verticalprojectionf The rear side of the abutment is a vertical plane exceptthat it is out under at its junction with the tongue f to form atriangular notch g in the abut-ment for the purpose hereinafterspecified. The abutment is held in place by a screw it passing throughit and the flanges a, being screwed into one of the flanges, and havingits head countersunk in the other, as shown in Fig. 4. The flanges aresufficiently thin and light to enable them to spring together under theforce of the screw and thus clamp the abutment firmly between them.

Fitted in the groove e back .of the abutment F is a sight K of ivory orother suitable white material, standing upon the tongue f in contactwith the abutment, and having a forwardly projecting spur k fitting thetriangular notch g therein. A similar spur 70 pro jects rearwardly fromthesight, having its upper side curved to fit the hub of a folding metalsight Z fitted in the groove 6, and hinged and adapted to be folded fromthe vertical position against the ivory sight K shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4and 7 to the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 9, or set tooccupy an intermediate inclined position as shown in Fig. 8. The pivoton which the dark or metal sight is hinged, is a screw 1', similar tothe screw it, being passed through the folding sight and screwed intoone of the flanges a and having its head countersunk in the oppositeflange as shown. By the clamping action of the screw upon the thinyielding flanges a any required amount of friction may beimposed uponthe folding sight, whereby it will be retained in any desired positionwhile admitting of being readily turned on its pivot. The rear side ofthe ivory sight is beveled or backed off as shown for the purpose ofreflecting light and allowing the insertion of the finger nail whenabout to be turned down from the vertical position, and the rear edgesof the flanges a are beveled inward slightly, or the folding sight isotherwise proportioned so as to project sufficiently to obtain asuitable hold upon it to raise it from the horizontal position. The hubof the folding sight exactly fills the space between the ivory sight andthe upturned projectionf of the tongue f, which projection is of suchheight that. the sight when folded down to the horizontal position, willrest upon it, as shown in Figs. 1 and '9.

The upper rounded surfaces of the abutment, the ivory sight, and thefolding sight are of exactly similar outline andin the same horizontalplane. Hence in operation, when the folding sight is turned down flat,as shown in Fig. 1, the ivory sight will be exhibited to the view of themarksman, in glancing along the gun barrel, presenting a bright, whitesurface, but if the folding sight is raised to the vertical position, asshown in Fig. 2, the ivory sight will be entirely hidden, and a darkmetallic surface will be exposed, according as conditions may require.If the folding sight is partly folded down as shown in Fig. 8, only aslight crescentic. white line will show, corresponding to the height ofthe ivory sight, above the metallic sight which is a combinationsometimes desired. The front angle of the abutment F is preferablyrounded off as shown, to avoid a sharp corner.

When a firearm is intended to be used with a bayonet or other implementattached at the muzzle of the barrel, a detachable sight cannot beemployed, as the sight is required for holding the bayonet in place, andtherefore must be rigidly secured to the barrel by being brazed theretoor integrally formed thereon. My improved sight for this purpose isshown in Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive and differs from the detachable sighthereinbefore described only in the construction of the pivot of thefolding sight, and in the form of the base R,'Wlll0h is that of a simpleoblong block brazed or otherwise rigidly fixed to the gun barrel, andhaving the central lengthwise groove m, forming the flanges n, which areproportionally thicker than the flanges a of the detachable sight, andpractically devoid of elasticity, as the use of the sight in holding thesocket of a bayonet requiret greater strength in those parts than in theform shown in Figs. 1 to 9. In the groove m is received the abutment Fhaving the tongue f and projection f secured by a suitable screw orrivet S, passing through the parts as explained with reference to thedetachable sight. The

groove also receives the ivory sight K and the folding metal sight Z,fitted snugly between the flanges n as described with reference to thedetachable sight; but the absence of elasticity in the flanges itrequires the use of a different pivot from that employed in the Figs. 1to 9, and comprising a conically pointed screw, 2?, which is screwedthrough one flange, with its end received in a suitable socket a in thefolding sight, and,

its point bearing on the bottom of the socket, as shown in Fig. 12, thuspressing the folding sight against theopposite flange and imposing thefriction necessary to hold the sight in any position. The rear side ofthe base is made concave as shown, to permit the folding sight to bereadily raised with the thumb nail, while at the same time notprojecting beyond the rear corners of the base. The operation of thissight is precisely like that of the detachable sight as hereinbefore setforth.

In the construction of this improved sight, the purpose of the tonguefis to afford ample bearing of the abutment on the base, and thus steadyit in position, since, if it were lacking, as the abutment is out underto form the notch 9 it would have very little bearing on the base at thebottom, and would tend to rock slightlyfrom the vertical position understrain, unless an additional rivet be employed to secure it; also, theupwardly projecting part f on the tongue helps to hold the folding sightin place. Fig. 15 shows a modification in which the said tongue andprojection are dispensed with, an additional rivet being used to holdthe abutment in place.

I claim as my invention- 1. A sight for firearms comprising incombination a base provided with a pair of vertical lengthwise flanges,an abutment secured between the flanges at the front end of the base, afolding sight pivoted between the flanges at the rear end thereof, and asight adapted to contrast in color with the folding sight securedintermediate of the folding sight and abutment, the folding sight beingadapted to a folding movement in the lengthwise plane of the barrel toconcealer to expose the intermediate sight, as and for the purposespecified.

2. A sight for firearms comprising in combination a base adapted to besecured to the gun barrel, and provided with a pair of verticallengthwise flanges, an abutment secured between said flanges at thefront end of the sight, a folding sight pivoted between the flanges atthe rear end thereof, and an ivory sight secured intermediate of theabutment and folding sight, the latter being adapted to a foldingmovement in the lengthwise plane of the barrel to conceal or to exposethe ivory sight, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In sights for firearms the combination of a base adapted to besecured to the gun barrel and provided with a pair of verticallongitudinal flanges, an abutment riveted in place between the flangesat the front end thereof and provided with a rearwardly extending tonguehaving an upturned projection at its end, and fitting the bottom of thegroove between the flanges, a folding sight pivoted between the flangesat the rear end of the sight. above said tongue and forward of theupturned projection thereof, an ivory or light colored sight, securedintermediate of the folding sight and abutment, and corresponding incross sectional outline therewith,

the folding sight and abutment being arranged to overhang the base oftheivory sight to firmly hold it in place, and the folding sight beingadapted to be swung rearwardly from its vertical position to expose theivory sight, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In sights for firearms, the combination the folding sight, allarranged substantially 0 in the manner and for the purpose specified.

I WILLIAM LYMAN. Witnesses:

LYMAN A. MILLs, IRADELL L. 000K.

